There is currently a command to let ATC and UNICOM know that you are low on fuel, but what if you have too much? What if you need to burn or dump fuel depending on your aircraft size? I propose that there be an option with ATC to let them know that you are too heavy to land, and there be a reply from them to enter a holding pattern and either dump fuel or burn fuel if you are in an aircraft that isn’t capable of dumping.
You definitely will say that it is the fault of the pilot, but sometimes, many times, it isn’t. An unplanned tailwind may put the aircraft above the max landing weight. An emergency of sorts may happen after a heavy departure and the aircraft may need to burn or dump fuel because they are too heavy to safely land.
Why not just exit the controlled airspace, then dump, then return? Less hassle for both the pilot and controller, regardless if it’s the pilot’s fault or not.
Another way this sentence could have been finished is:
“… we make mistakes”
We’re human, mistakes will happen. Mistakes that can lead to problems, and put aircraft, real and virtual, into dangerous situations. But it’s not the mistake that leads to the problem, that’s only a factor; it’s how the pilot does, and how the pilot is able to, respond to said mistake, deal with it, and resolve the problem.
If the pilot makes that mistake of misjudging how much fuel they need, or as you say there are unexpected winds, there needs to be a solution. At the minute, they’re almost forced to continue further into landing overweight. So yes, this is a much needed feature.
